Lot 7148

AV Dinar nd. (7.50 g.), King & Queen or Marriage type - Obv: Chandragupta I standing facing left, holding crescent-topped scepter, looking at his bride Kumaradevi to whom he offers a ring; both figures nimbate; three dots below between king and queen / Rev: The goddess Lakshmi, holding diadem and cornucopiae, seated facing on lion reclining to right; tamgha to left (Altekar (Bayana Hoard) pl. I-1+; cf. BMC plateIII; MAC4791 (this coin); Fr.76; ZENO197695) - Die imperfection over the face of the goddess, which is known from another specimen too, otherwise XF and very rare Note: This type was attributed to Samudragupta by John Allen when he wrote the BMC catalogue, and this attribution has been accepted by most numismatists. However, A. S. Altekar, in both his study of Gupta coins and the catalogue of the Bayana hoard, attributed this type to Chandragupta I himself. The piece is a significant propaganda type, that commemorates the dynastic marriage that solidified Gupta rule over central India. The union with the Lichchhavi princess Kumaradevi expanded Chandragupta's influence into the rich Bihar province and laid the foundations for the Gupta empire